Hi guys,
I think we as a group are doing the right things to keep our gallbladders as healthy as we can and I truly believe we see attacks more frequently on OH due to our massive weight loss thanks to our surgeries and not what we eat or don't eat post-op. This article explained it in non technobabble so even I can understand. Please read if you've been turned off by the science and long studies summaries.  

Here's an article I thought was pretty good. It's from VitaminShoppe's Amazing Wellness magazine.

Gallbladder Health

July 1, 2011 By Emily Kane, ND, LAc

Herbs and other natural solutions for gallstones

One of my clients was diagnosed with gallstones and her primary doctor suggested that she have her gallbladder removed, adding that the gallbladder “has no purpose." This is not entirely true. The purpose of the gallbladder is to store a small repository of bile, which serves many important functions. The main purpose of bile is to break down fat into tiny components, namely essential fatty acids, that can be absorbed through the microcapillaries in the villi of the small intestine.

Bile is produced in the liver. It’s produced slowly and deliberately by the liver cells; production can’t be “dialed up" on demand. When you eat a meal containing a larger amount of fat, more bile is needed. Therefore, the gallbladder, while not as essential as the liver itself, is handy for storing extra bile for when that big fat meal comes along. Gallbladder surgery is common, and usually harmless, but it’s always a good idea to try a nutritional approach to your healthcare problem before committing to a definitive surgery.

Diet Do’s and Don’ts

If your abdominal pain is correlated to eating fatty foods—usually within the hour—and occurs in the upper right quadrant, up under the right ribcage, sometimes with a sharp pain that radiates through to the right shoulder blade, gallbladder congestion is likely. Gallstones are easier to prevent than to reverse. Try to eat approximately the same amount of healthy fats on a daily basis. Never eat fried food, and drink plenty of fresh water. It’s not a good idea to commit to a completely low-fat diet. If you go for many days without eating much fat, bile may stagnate, causing it to form a kind of thick sludge, then “sand," then “gravel," and finally may coalesce into one solid stone, which can be very painful.

The solubility of your bile is a major component of your tendency to form sludge or stones. A diet high in processed foods, particularly refined carbohydrates, is well established to reduce the solubility of bile. Include ample soluble fiber in your diet, such as apples, steel-cut oats, celery, and dark leafy greens.

What to Take

If you are in the throes of a gallbladder attack, you can try placing a heat pack over the upper right abdomen as well as ingesting several thousand mg of magnesium; both serve as muscle relaxants. Dioscorea (wild yam) can also be an effective antispasmodic if you take several teaspoons of a standardized tincture every hour for up to six hours.
If you get upper right abdominal twinges after eating fatty foods, consider using bile stimulants, and digestive enzymes such as lipase, regularly in your diet.

Some of my favorite cholagogues (agents that promote bile production and flow) are beets and artichokes. Artichokes are in the thistle family, and many thistles, most notably milk thistle (Silybum marianum) are very helpful for liver health. If you have gallbladder problems you should eat artichoke hearts (preserved in water, not oil) on a regular basis. Other cholagogues include dandelion root (Tarax *** officinale), turmeric (Curcuma longa) and boldo (Peumus boldo). Take 1-3 g of vitamin C daily.

Another nutrient, related to B vitamins, that promotes bile solubility is lecithin (also known as phosphatidylcholine). Take 1 rounded tablespoon (500 mg) daily, in applesauce, yogurt, or oatmeal.

Love Your Liver

As the liver produces the bile that gets stored in the gallbladder, liver and gallbladder health are inextricably linked. Some top supplements for liver health:
Glutathione: protects cells from damage from toxins including alcohol.
N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC): helps the liver detoxify from alcohol and other toxins, and is used by physicians to detoxify the liver when patients overdose on the over-the-counter drug acetaminophen. It is converted by the body into glutathione.
L-Carnitine: Carnitine is produced in the liver, but can be depleted by certain medications. Research shows it can improve liver function and is beneficial in fatty liver disease.
Carnosine: protects the liver from damage from alcohol and other toxins.
Resveratrol: found in red wine, it may mitigate some of the effects of alcohol on the liver. It’s also found in grapes and blueberries, and is available as a supplement.
 

Interesting.  Mine came out the first time I had major weightloss from WW.  I was not eating low carb but probably more low fat than before.  I haven't had any problems since it was removed and that was 20+ years ago.

DH and I discussed heatedly the function of the liver a couple of nights ago.  I said it was to filter out toxins and he said it was to make red blood cells.  I haven't eaten liver since learning it was a filter thinking you would just be re-eating all those toxins, yuck.  He still thought eating liver was healthy.  Of course, it wasn't heated enough to make me go on line and research it.

I won't eat liver either but I will take Proferrin, which is heme iron, and is doing my hematocrit and hemoglobin a world of good. My understanding, and I may be wrong, is taking heme iron is like eating iron rich liver.

Not sure, but I think kidneys are the filters.

You're right too....liver does the following:

The liver has a multitude of important and complex functions. Some of these functions are to:

• Manufacture (synthesize) proteins, including albumin (to help maintain the volume of blood) and blood clotting factors
  
   
• Synthesize, store, and process (metabolize) fats, including fatty acids (used for energy) and cholesterol
  
   
• Metabolize and store carbohydrates, which are used as the source for the sugar (glucose) in blood that red blood cells and the brain use
  
   
• Form and secrete bile that contains bile acids to aid in the intestinal absorption (taking in) of fats and the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.
  
   
• Eliminate, by metabolizing and/or secreting, the potentially harmful biochemical products produced by the body, such as bilirubin from the breakdown of old red blood cells and ammonia from the breakdown of proteins
  
   
• Detoxify, by metabolizing and/or secreting, drugs, alcohol, and environmental toxins

I think you win, Price.

What is the nutritional value of eating liver?

 

Jennifer Stairs, United States

There are different origins of edible liver, such as goose, pork, beef, lamb or fish. In general, liver is a good source of vitamin A, iron, zinc, copper and manganese, and a very good source of protein, vitamin D, vitamin C, riboflavin, thiamine, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B12, pantothenic acid, phosphorus and selenium.

However, liver might contain high amounts of heavy metals and other contaminants that tend to accumulate in liver tissue. For those reasons, liver should not be eaten too often.

Certain population groups, like pregnant women, should pay special attention. Liver is a very rich source of vitamin A and having large amounts of vitamin A can harm the unborn baby.
 

YUCK! Never have and never will eat Liver, now it is even more of a reason LOL

WOW !!! thats REALLY interesting ! i artichokes and turmeric and beets in all their forms so no wonder I'm pretty gallbladder -attack proof so far ... and as as far as apples and oats and leafy greens go , well , theyre staples too....

yet another example of eat fibrous fresh food all day .... keeps the poundage and the doctors away ...